Rankings / XYLD

XYLD

Global X S&P 500 Covered Call ETF

SPYIssuer: Global XInception: June 24, 2013

5.8

Overall Score

Strategy & Profile

XYLD tracks the Cboe S&P 500 BuyWrite Index. It holds the S&P 500 stocks, 507 positions, and sells one-month at-the-money call options on the whole portfolio. The rules are mechanical and it pays monthly. PBP tracks the same index.

TTM Yield: 10.41% — trailing 12-month distributions, as of September 30, 2026
Expense ratio
0.60%
Inception
Jun 2013
AUM
$3.4B
Holdings
507
Beta
0.628
Volatility (ann.)
11.75%
Upside capture
59.45%
Downside capture
62.89%

Characteristics

  • ✓60-month volatility 9.0% vs 15.7% for SPY
  • ✓2022 return -12.1% vs -18.2% for SPY
  • ✓TTM yield 10.41% with a 13-year record

Considerations

  • ✗Worst drawdown -23.4% vs -23.9% for SPY
  • ✗Down capture of 63% against 59% up capture
  • ✗Total return +92.0% vs +216.8% for SPY since Feb 2019, and a 0.60% fee vs 0.29% for PBP, which tracks the same index

Fits

  • →Wants a transparent buy-write with a long record
  • →Accepts giving up much of the upside
  • →Wants a 10% yield from the S&P 500

Doesn't fit

  • →Wants crash protection (worst month -16.3%)
  • →Wants growth
  • →Is fee-sensitive

In summary

Cut volatility to 9.0% (SPY 15.7%), but its worst drawdown (-23.4%) was only 0.5 points better than SPY's.

Performance

Cumulative total return of XYLD against SPY, distributions reinvested.

Last 60 months · Sep 2021 – Sep 2026
XYLD(+48.5%)
SPY(+90.0%)
-20%+0%+20%+40%+60%+80%+100%202120222023202420252026

Cumulative total return, rebased to 0% at the start of each period. Distributions reinvested. Data through end of previous month.

Annual returns

Calendar-year total return, distributions reinvested.

YearXYLDSPY
2026 YTD+10.58%+12.71%
2025+7.99%+17.72%
2024+19.48%+24.89%
2023+11.09%+26.19%
2022-12.07%-18.17%
2021+19.59%+28.75%
2020-0.50%+18.37%
2019+15.76%n/a

Historical years are frozen. YTD is refreshed monthly.

Score breakdown

Composite score from six weighted criteria, measured since inception.

Weight 25%3.8

Total Return

Performance since inception against the benchmark.

Weight 25%5.9

Downside Protection

How much of the benchmark drawdown the fund absorbed.

Weight 25%6.5

Upside Participation

How much of the benchmark rally the fund kept.

Weight 15%7.6

Distribution Consistency

Frequency of distribution cuts below 85% of the previous payment.

Weight 5%5.0

Expense Ratio

Inversely proportional to the annual management fee.

Weight 5%7.2

Liquidity

Assets under management on a log scale.

Portfolio exposure

Sector and geographic composition of XYLD underlying holdings.

Sectors

Technology38.8%
Financial Services12.0%
Communication Services9.5%
Consumer Cyclical9.3%
Healthcare9.3%
Industrials7.8%
Consumer Defensive4.4%
Energy3.5%
Other5.4%

Countries

United States99.2%
Ireland1.2%
United Kingdom0.4%
Switzerland0.3%
Netherlands0.1%
Bermuda0.1%
Canada0.0%

Top holdings

#SymbolNameWeight
1NVDANVIDIA CORP8.81%
2AAPLAPPLE INC7.42%
3MSFTMICROSOFT CORP5.98%
4AMZNAMAZON.COM INC3.83%
5GOOGLALPHABET INC-CL A3.10%
6AVGOBROADCOM INC2.72%
7GOOGALPHABET INC-CL C2.49%
8METAMETA PLATFORMS INC2.48%
9MUMICRON TECHNOLOGY INC1.80%
10TSLATESLA INC1.64%

Holdings data from fund disclosures, updated periodically. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to cash, options, and other positions not shown.

Composite score by time window

The same six criteria, applied to different trailing periods. Pro subscribers see the full breakdown.

Since inception

5.8

3 years

7.0

1 year

8.6

3 months

9.1

🔒

See the full time-window breakdown

How has XYLD ranked across inception, 3 years, 1 year, and 3 months? Pro subscribers can compare a fund's trajectory over every window, across all 28 funds.

Unlock all 4 windows — $34/month

Cancel anytime. Full monthly history included.

Key Metrics

Expense Ratio

0.600%

Inception Date

June 24, 2013

Benchmark

SPY

Category

Covered Call - Large Cap

Distribution Frequency

Monthly

Maturity Rating

5/5 stars

Scores calculated using CoveredRank methodology. Every formula is published and reproducible.

See full methodology→

Other ETFs benchmarked on SPY

Disclaimer: CoveredRank provides independent educational content only. This is not financial advice. Please consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Past performance does not guarantee future results.